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FINAL REPORT ~ Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL)

admin — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 20:29:32 +0000

MSEEL Domain in Morgantown Industrial Park

TECHNICAL REPORT: View Technical Report (4.58 MB) ~ https://doi.org/10.2172/1836651

ABSTRACT ~ Marcellus Shale Energy & Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) Final Report

The objective of the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) was to provide a long-term field site to develop and validate new knowledge and technology to improve recovery efficiency and minimize environmental implications of unconventional resource development.

MSEEL initiated in October 2014 and completed in September 2021. Total project value was $29,765,067, support from the US Department of energy totaled $16,608,355 with a cost share of $13,156,712 primarily from Northeast Natural Energy.

This report in a departure from previous reports summarizes the overarching results and outlines the approach taken. We cover two recent efforts in machine learning and reservoir characterization and simulation.

Numerous quarterly reports, public presentations and numerous external publications cover specific results by subtopic and in detail. Publications are listed in the Appendix.

The MSEEL project directly supported at least 110 personnel consisting of 23 tenure track faculty member, 27 research associates (Post-doctoral candidates and other research staff such as research professors), 42 graduate students (Masters and Doctoral), and 18 undergraduates. In addition, data are used at several institutions to educate the next generation of subsurface geoscientists.

From 2015 through December 2021, at least 333 publications are directly attributable to the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Lab (MSEEL) or use data or results obtained from MSEEL. The scientific and technical results have significantly improved our understanding of the environmental impacts and subsurface understanding of unconventional shale gas reservoirs such as the Marcellus Shale, and have broad impacts beyond shale gas to include geothermal production and carbon storage.

This report summarizes the overarching results and outlines the approach taken. Numerous quarterly reports, public presentations, and external publications cover specific results by subtopic and in detail. While MSEEL is not currently active, the results and data remain available through the National Energy Technology Laboratory Energy Data eXchange (EDX) (https://edx.netl.doe.gov/), and at the MSEEL website (http://www.mseel.org/).

Available data totals approximately 108 terabytes. Results and data continue to be incorporated into ongoing projects including Science-informed Machine Learning to Accelerate Real-Time (SMART) (https://edx.netl.doe.gov/smart/). Research on machine learning for improved production efficiency with LANL through the SMART Initiative continues and we have provided data and consultation and have contributed papers on use of artificial intelligence for a better understanding of reservoir properties.

Morgantown Utility Board Agrees to Disagree with Northeast Natural Energy over New Gas Wells

Duane Nichols — Thu, 14 May 2015 11:38:47 +0000

Additional wells coming to M.I.P.

MUB public water service utility and NNE energy company settle most of their disputes

From an Article by David Beard, Morgantown Dominion Post, TheDPost.com, May12, 2015

Morgantown, WV – The Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) and Northeast Natural Energy (NNE) have largely resolved their differences over water safety concerns related to three planned horizontal gas wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP).

MUB General Manager Tim Ball said in an email Monday, “MUB and NNE have discussed the planned drilling at MIP, and have resolved all the technical details.”

Two matters remain unresolved. MUB had wanted Northeast to provide a $1 million bond payable to MUB to cover potential water supply disruptions. It also wanted Northeast to list MUB as an additional insured on its insurance coverages.

Those issues were unresolved and have been left at an “agree to disagree” status, Ball said. Northeast’s President Mike John and Vice president for regulatory affairs Brett Loflin echoed that assessment.

“We’re confident we have everything in place” to protect the water and the environment, John said.

Because the well pad is directly upstream from MUB’s Monongahela River water intake, MUB began discussions with Northeast back in October about several safety concerns, primarily well casings, berms and liners, water testing and the composition of the drilling fluid.

“Subsequent discussions,” Ball said, “have clarified that secondary containment and impervious liners will be provided to the same standard as was used in 2011. Those discussions also persuaded us that the details proposed by NNE regarding casing pipes and grouting thereof were appropriate.”

Northeast explained to MUB and to The Dominion Post that it is using current “best practices,” which are different from those employed when it drilled its first two wells in 2011.

Northeast’s two producing wells at the site are called MIP 4H and 6H. The three permitted wells are MIP 3H, 5H and SW, for “science well.”

The science well, or research well, is a project conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, WVU and Ohio State University. It’s a vertical well planned to go 8,000 feet deep into the Helderberg formation — a limestone formation between the Marcellus and Utica shales.

“We feel pretty good about the project,” John said Monday of the industrial park. “There will be a lot of opportunities for folks to get a good look” at the operations.

Ball had been concerned that synthetic drilling fluid might pose more harm than water-based fluid, in the event of a spill. But email exchanges with WVU’s Tim Carr, Marshall Miller professor of energy, assured him that the synthetic fluids are biodegradable and eco-friendly.

Also, Carr told him, researchers from WVU, Ohio State, the U.S Geological Survey and the National Energy Technology Laboratory will be on site daily taking samples during early stages, and weekly or monthly later as water production decreases. That will continue for the five years of the project.

“MUB will continue to do its own monitoring,” Ball said, “but we will take advantage of the WVU data to reduce the scope of our program, so that MUB will monitor for additional parameters that are not measured by WVU.”

Permits for MIP 3H and 5H were issued April 7, and for MIP SW on March 6, DEP records show. John and Loflin said Monday that little work has been done so far other than moving some dirt.

NOTE: The schools near the well pad(s) as well as the businesses in the Morgantown Industrial Park are still at substantive risk from air pollution excursions from these extra high pressure drilling and fracking operations. Leaks, fires or explosions are not uncommon with such operations. Duane Nichols, Mon-Valley Clean Air Coalition.

Protesting at the Morgantown Industrial Park Underway, Fracking Scheduled for September 22nd

Duane Nichols — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:06:29 +0000

: Pickets March on Morgantown Drill Site

A number of Morgantown area residents associated with the West Virginia for a Moratorium on Marcellus drilling and fracking (WV4MOM) held two separate roadside protests Thursday near a Marcellus shale drilling site just a few miles from downtown Morgantown, according to Radio WAJR.

The group continues to call for a ban on Marcellus shale drilling. Protestor Kathy Cash says Northeast Energy plans to begin hydraulic fracking at the site September 22nd. “We are very deeply concerned about this issue and we are going to be monitoring what’s going on,” she said.

Morgantown City Council originally passed a fracking ban for areas inside and just outside the city limits, but a circuit judge threw out the ordinance saying the state DEP has the authority over drilling sites. Attorney Richard Cohen, who was at Thursday’s protest, said residents haven’t given up the fight. “We will hold them (Northeast Energy) to task. We intend to continue organizing,” he said. “They need to be very careful what they do. Because it’s our community they are going to effect.”

Morgantown resident Roz Becker says allowing fracking is a huge mistake. “I think it’s going to endanger our water supply and our air quality,” she said. “You can visit other communities and see the damage that it’s done.” The pickets were in place from 11 to 2 pm and from 4 to 6 pm. Limited television news coverage took place, by WDTV.

The company has maintained fracking has been taking place for years and is a safe process. It has gained all the required permits. The company says it has worked with several agencies to make sure the drilling project is a success. (However, the use of very high pressures, 10,000 pounds per square inch frequently used in fracking, is of great concern for its potential to result in blowouts that can contaminate ground water and the River as well as air pollution that could affect the local residents and local schools. DGN).

Office of Oil and Gas Adds MUB Conditions to NNE Drill Permits for Morgantown Industrial Park

Duane Nichols — Sat, 28 May 2011 18:30:42 +0000

The Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) has negotiated with the Northeast Natural Energy LLC (NNE) to update the two permits for Marcellus horizontal gas wells in or near the Morgantown Industrial Park. These updates have been accepted by the WV Office of Oil and Gas, and they have been incorporated into the two permits, as of May 19^th. A brief description of some of these conditions is provided below. To read the full text of these updates, please refer to the MUB web-site, www.mub.org

Spill Containment – Drilling operations: (1) NNE will utilize a closed loop system during fluid drilling operations for maximum control of drilling fluid / mud. …….(3) The permanent earthen berm around the well pad will provide a third level of containment. …. (5) The volume of the lined waste pit will exceed the entire combined maximum volume of drilling fluids and tailings/mud present on site at any time.

Spill Containment – Fracking operations: (1) The well pad liner will be expanded to conver the entire area encompassed by the earthen berm at the perimeter of the well pad, including the sumps located at each corner. ….. (2) ….. (3)The perimeter of the well pad will be protected by a 2.5 ft. berm completely surrounding the 300 ft. X 600 ft. well pad.

Spill Prevention – Fracking operations: (1) NNE will utilize a closed loop system for maximum control of fracking fluid. (2) A second automatically activated Blow Out Preventer (BOP) will be provided to maximize control of fracking fluids. ….. (3) …. .

Well Integrity: Some eight (8) conditions were agreed to, including “(2) NNE will encase (with cement/grout) the full length of production casing.” Most of the others in this category have to do with testing casing to withstand pressure(s), in one case up to 10,000 psi prior to the fracking process.

Waste Disposal: Two conditions. NNE will dispose of all drilling residues and fracking fluids off site; and, mainifest procedures to document such will be utilized.

Miscellaneous: (1) Drill cuttings / fluid will NOT be mixed with fracking fluids. (2) Drilling fluids will be water based.

The above negotiations were described in the local newspaper on May 18^th. Many residents of Monongalia County have raised other issues and problems with the two permits in question. The Morgantown City Council will be addressing some of these in a “Meeting of the Whole” on Tuesday, May 31^st at 7 pm in City Council Chambers, a facility with limited seating capacity for the public.